Tuesday, May 1, 2012

A to Z Farm visit!

Yesterday Heather and I were honoured to get to visit A to Z Alpaca Farm with our girls. I'm in LOVE with their yarn.. if I could ONLY use that.. I'd be so thrilled! Alpaca yarn is some of the softest yarn you'll ever feel. More on that in a bit....

Leslie and her dad run A to Z Alpacas (along with her daughter Kayla) here in Southern Alberta, and it was wonderful of them to have us out (and on her dad's birthday even!). Leslie graciously put up with 2 very giggly girls (who thought saying "Alpaca Poop" was the most hilarious thing ever).

A to Z Alpacas has about 300 alpacas, and expect about 100 cria/babies this year.

Leslie hand dyes the yarns to sell, she also sells undyed yarn, and fibre. She will meet any of your alpaca fibre needs!

Leslie met us out on the driveway, and gave us tour of all the different areas of their farm. We started in the female enclosure. All the females and males had been freshly sheared:

Next we visited the males. Leslie explained that most of the males they left a little tuft of hair on their necks when shearing, so they can easily be recognized when they break into the females area (the boys have just as much roaming room as the girls, there was just a gathering of them at the fence, which made a perfect photo op).

We then moved onto the tamer alpacas, who hadn't been sheared yet. This is where the girls got to interact with them more. They had fun calling "Ally and Zaiden" and getting the attention from them all, as they all came over to meet us.

We then wandered over to the chicken coop... there were a couple escapees:

There were a few alpaca hanging out in the back yard as well:

Then we got to visit the bunnies:

Finally Leslie let us see her office/studio and we went yarn shopping (and we would have left with baskets full if it was in the budget!). We left with only 1 skein each... can't wait to use them!

Their website is very informative about raising alpacas, the process from shearing to yarn, and about the products.... You can read more about Leslie and her family's story HERE.

More about alpaca fibre and yarn:-it is sooo soft (comparable with cashmere)-doesn't feel pokey/itchy like other wools-it's hypo allergenic and contains no lanolin-it's warmer than sheep wool, but lighter weight-water repellent and fire retardant-wicks moisture away from skin, keeping you warm and dry-so many other awesome benefits

Great pictures! Ally & Zaiden have sure grown since I first saw pictures of them. We are hoping to get to their farm for a visit, but the drive for us is several hours. You have done a great job of showcasing their farm and the benefits of alpaca yarn.